In a bold move to confront inequality in access to higher education, President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled the “No Fees Stress” policy — a sweeping intervention aimed at removing financial barriers that have long kept thousands of Ghanaian students out of tertiary institutions.
Launched in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, the policy is being hailed as a direct response to the deepening socio-economic divide affecting Ghana’s education system.
For years, financial constraints have disproportionately affected students from low-income households, often forcing them to abandon their academic dreams. The new initiative seeks to reverse that trend.
Under the programme, the government will absorb academic user fees for all first-year students entering public tertiary institutions, beginning with a first cohort of 15,000 students in the 2025 academic year.
“This is more than a policy — it is a matter of justice,” President Mahama declared. “We cannot continue to allow a student’s financial situation to dictate whether or not they can attend university. That ends today.”
The president stressed that the policy was part of a broader strategy to tackle structural inequality, empower the youth, and create a more inclusive society.
“We are investing in human capital — in the future of Ghana,” he added. “Education should never be a privilege for the few, but a right for all.”
The “No Fees Stress” policy arrives at a time when education advocates and civil society groups have increasingly called for bold reforms to level the playing field in access to tertiary education.
Many see the initiative not only as a relief to struggling families but as a necessary step to building a more equitable and prosperous Ghana.
While the long-term sustainability of the programme will be closely watched, the announcement has already sparked hope among students and parents alike, who view it as a lifeline in an era of rising educational costs.
